


Loony Luna Lovegood's Boggart

by AgentNerd



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (Very very very minor OCs), Boggarts, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Luna is extraordinarily unordinary, Lupin is a cool teacher, Original Character(s), Pudding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 08:43:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4699589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentNerd/pseuds/AgentNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because it can't just be something normal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loony Luna Lovegood's Boggart

**Author's Note:**

> 9/16/17: An Italian translation of this work can be found on EFP here: https://www.efpfanfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=3699447&i=1

“Well, class,” Professor Lupin said to his group of second years, “I must say you have accomplished quite a lot today. I didn’t anticipate for us to get through everything so quickly, but if you’ll all hand in those reports on Cornish Pixies, I have a surprise for you all.”

As Lupin disappeared into his office, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood walked up to his desk together, completed reports in hand.

“I wonder what the surprise is?” Ginny wondered out loud.

“Probably a Nargle. I’ve seen traces of their nest near the library.”

Ginny gave a small smile, “Maybe.” As they sat back down, Professor Lupin returned, levitating a large, dusty trunk behind him. It landed on his desk with a loud _thump!_

“Put away all of your books and take out your wands. I’ve been saving this for my third years, but this class has been doing so well; consider it a treat.” The trunk started to wobble near the edge of the desk, and some people eyed it warily.

“Um, Professor?” asked a Gryffindor boy, raising his hand in the air.

“Yes, Colin?”

“What exactly _is_ it?”

“Excellent question, but let me ask another first: how many of you have heard of a boggart?” Nearly all of the Ravenclaw students, and a good amount of Gryffindors raised their hands. “Good, very good. Now who can explain to me what it is…Theresa, how about you?”

The girl straightened, “A boggart is a creature that will change its form into whatever a person fears the most.”

Lupin smiled, “Exactly right, five points to Ravenclaw. Boggarts tend to inhabit small, dark spaces; and I happened to find the one you are about to see in that exact trunk, in a dusty corner of my office. It is very simple to repel a boggart, but there are two steps to the process. First, without wands, I would like you all to repeat after me. _Riddikulus_.”

“ _Riddikulus_.” everyone repeated.

“Good. That is the charm you will need to use, and the first step, but the second step requires you to be a bit more involved. I want you all to picture the thing you fear the most, right now.”

Everyone thought hard about what they were most frightened by. Ginny knew almost immediately what scared her. She turned to look at Luna, and found her with her eyes closed, humming quietly. She couldn’t even guess what Luna was thinking of.

“Do you all have it? Now, to demonstrate this second step, I will need a volunteer. Colin, come on up.”

Colin Creevy stood and went to the front of the class, looking a bit nervous.

“What are you afraid of, Colin?” Professor Lupin asked.

“Well…I don’t like dogs much…”

“Dogs, eh?” A wry smile came to Lupin’s lips for a moment, but it vanished quickly, and at Colin’s blush, he added, “Don’t worry, nothing to be ashamed about. But now you need to think. How can we make a dog funny?”

“Funny?” Colin looked rather horrified at the prospect.

“Yes. You see, as you say the charm aloud, you need to concentrate on how to turn your fear into something comical. Laughter is the surest way to get rid of a boggart. Can you not think of any way to laugh at a dog?” Colin shook his head. “Well, how about this?” Professor Lupin bent down and whispered something into Colin’s ear, and whatever he said seemed to calm the boy, and even make him smile.

“Ready?”

He nodded.

“I’ll open the trunk on three,” he advised the class, “and once Colin is done then I’ll call each of you up in turn to do the same. One, two, three!” the professor whipped open the lid, and something flew out onto the floor. It was a dog, large and menacing-looking. White foam leaked out of its mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth, and its rumbling growl filled the room. Colin’s arm trembled as he pointed his wand at the thing.

“ _Riddikulus!_ ”

The entire class burst out laughing. The terrifying Rottweiler’s straight, thick hair had suddenly turned very curly, a bow now sat atop its head, and the sound that came out of its muzzle seemed more fit to be called a squeak than anything. Lupin ushered Colin to go back to his seat, awarding him ten points, before calling out,

“Patrick, you’re next!”

Almost half the class had taken a turn with the boggart before Ginny was called up, and by that time everyone was howling with laughter. She nervously stepped up to the boggart, trying to keep in mind how she would make her fear funny.

As she approached it, the creature changed from being a tap-dancing spider, into the very thing that Ginny _still_ had nightmares about. A giant Basilisk sat before her, its tongue darting out from its fanged mouth, tasting the air. Quite a few gasps could be heard from the class, and one girl even squeaked in fright.

Ginny held out her wand, concentrating with all her might, “ _R-riddikulus!_ ” And as the Basilisk changed into an oversized jelly worm right before her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a bit shaken.

“Brilliant, Ginny, five points to Gryffindor. Theresa, you’re up!” When Ginny sat back down, Luna patted her hand and smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It had been a bit scary, but also satisfying to know she had, in a way, conquered her fear.

Seeing as Professor Lupin was choosing students in a random order, Luna happened to be the very last person called. She took her wand out from behind her ear, and practically skipped up to the front of the room. As she stepped up to the boggart, it changed…

And changed…

And changed…

It kept changing forms over and over again, switching so rapidly that it appeared to be only a colorful blur. A terrible sound came from the creature, something between screeching and clicking. Luna just stood there, a calm, almost distant look on her face.

A horrible buzzing filled the air.

Then the boggart blew up.

Everyone stared in shock at the pile of gray dust that sat where the creature had just been. There was no sound in the room other than that of Luna humming. Finally, Professor Lupin addressed her.

“Erm, Luna…would you mind explaining what just happened? What were you afraid of?”

She looked up at him.

“Well…my biggest fear used to be Hairy-Toothed Bullpouters, but once you explained what a boggart was, the concept seemed awfully scary. A boggart must not have a real form, because it didn’t seem sure of what it should turn into. I think I confused it.”

Everyone just stared at her with incredulous looks on their faces. Then Ginny started to laugh, breaking the silence. Slowly, everyone else started joining in, until the room was filled with peals of laughter. Luna just gazed forward, a faraway look in her eyes and a contented smile on her face.

“Well, class, that was quite…interesting. With that, you are dismissed to lunch, but do remember to keep this a secret from the third years! I’ll have to find another boggart for them later today.” With a wave of his wand, Professor Lupin banished the trunk from his desk and started to head for his office. Ginny and Luna headed for the Great Hall together.

“That was brilliant, Luna,” Ginny told her friend, still trying to get over her laughter.

“Yes…” Luna said dreamily, “Do you think there will be pie for pudding today?”

_Finis_


End file.
